Press Releases
Senators Gillibrand & Grassley Ask President Obama To Investigate Pentagon Testimony After Report Found It Misled Congress On Sexual Assault Cases
Washington, D.C. - In a letter to President Obama, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today called for an investigation into Pentagon testimony before Congress after a report released yesterday revealed that Pentagon officials misled Congress about sexual assault cases in an effort to curb efforts to enact legislation to reform how such cases are handled. The report, which was compiled by the advocacy organization Protect Our Defenders (POD), and follow-up … Continue Reading
April 19, 2016
Schumer, Gillibrand Announce More Than $1.5 Million In Federal Head Start Funds For The Parsons Child And Family
U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $1,540,289.00 in federal funding for the Parsons Child and Family Center in Albany, N.Y. The federal funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Early Head Start Program, and will be used to support and grow education and development services for low-income families in the community. "Study after study shows that the better we prepare our young children through programs like Early Head … Continue Reading
April 19, 2016
Schumer, Gillibrand, Donovan, De Blasio Announce $6 Million In Federal Funds For Upgrades To Staten Island Ferry
U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, Congressmember Dan Donovan and Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced that $6 million in federal Department of Transportation grant funds will be provided to the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) for Staten Island Ferry-related upgrades. Specifically, the funds will be used to replace deck scows for the Staten Island Ferry Dockbuilding Unit, and upgrade ramps and racks at the ferry maintenance facility. The funds come … Continue Reading
April 15, 2016
Senator Gillibrand, Joined By Bipartisan Group Of 26 Senators And Representatives, Urges President Obama To Remove Barriers To Research On Medical Marijuana
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), joined by a bipartisan group of 26 Senators and Representatives, today sent a letter urging President Obama to remove barriers to research on medical marijuana and facilitate new medical research on cannabis and its derivatives. "Twenty-three states have passed laws establishing medical cannabis programs and an additional seventeen have passed laws regarding the medical use of cannabidiol (CBD), a compound derived from cannabis," the … Continue Reading
April 15, 2016
As Opioid & Heroin Related Deaths In New York Continue To Climb, Senator Gillibrand Urges Passage Of Bipartisan Legislation To Fight Opioid Epidemic
Albany, N.Y. - As opioid and heroin related deaths in New York continue to climb, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, along with families and advocates are calling on Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to help end the opioid epidemic. Senator Gillibrand introduced the Preventing Overprescribing for Pain Act, legislation that would require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue guidelines for the safe prescribing of opioids for the treatment of acute pain. The CDC … Continue Reading
April 15, 2016
Gillibrand Urges National Park Service To Designate New York State Barge Canal As National Historic Landmark
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today wrote to the National Park Service urging for the New York State Barge Canal to be designated as a National Historic Landmark. The NYS Barge Canal extends through Albany, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo and includes the Erie Canal, the Oswego Canal, the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, and the Champlain Canal, stretching 525 miles across New York State. This designation would provide additional economic development and tourism promotion … Continue Reading
April 12, 2016
On Equal Pay Day, Gillibrand Goes To Senate Floor To Urge Support For Paycheck Fairness
**WATCH Senator Gillibrand's Speech on the Senate Floor HERE** Washington, D.C. - On Equal Pay Day, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today delivered a speech on the Senate floor urging her colleagues to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and close the wage gap. Below are Senator Gillibrand's remarks as prepared for delivery and video is available here: "Mr. President, after another whole year, a very unfortunate milestone has once again arrived. "Today is Equal Pay Day. "This is the day in … Continue Reading
April 12, 2016
Schumer, Gillibrand Urges FEMA To Renew Federal Funds For Newburgh Fire Department-Funds Senators Secured In 2013 Set To Expire This May
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today urged Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) to renew federal funds for the City of Newburgh's Fire Department. The Senators previously wrote individual letters to FEMA urging to renew this funding prior to the expiration in May. Initially, Senators Schumer and Gillibrand secured the $2.4 million in 2013 to hire fifteen additional firefighters. Funds were allocated through FEMA's Staffing for Adequate … Continue Reading
April 08, 2016
Schumer, Gillibrand & Rice Announce Sandy Recovery Grant Awards For Repairs To Island Park School, Long Beach Water Purification Plant
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Representative Kathleen Rice announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded more than $2.65 million in federal grant funding to the Island Park School District and nearly $1.7 million to the City of Long Beach for repairs to damage caused by Superstorm Sandy. The Island Park School District will receive $2,654,312 for repairs to the Lincoln Orens Middle School, which sustained heavy … Continue Reading
April 07, 2016
Gillibrand & Clarke Urge National Park Service To Place Crown Heights North Historic District On The National Register Of Historic Places-Location To Include Site Of The Late Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm's Residence
New York, N.Y. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Representative Yvette D. Clarke today wrote to the National Park Service urging for Crown Heights North Historic District to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Senator Gillibrand and Representative Clarke requested to extend the original boundary in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood currently covered by the National Register after the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission revealed an additional 636 … Continue Reading
April 04, 2016
As Opioid & Heroin Related Deaths In New York Continue To Climb, Senator Gillibrand And Rep. Katko Urge Passage Of Bipartisan Legislation To Fight Opioid Epidemic
Syracuse, N.Y. - As opioid and heroin related deaths in New York continue to climb, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Representative John Katko along with families and advocates are calling on Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to help end the opioid epidemic. Senator Gillibrand introduced the Preventing Overprescribing for Pain Act, legislation that would require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue guidelines for the safe prescribing of opioids for the … Continue Reading
April 01, 2016
Schumer, Gillibrand & Gibson Statements On Kingston Post Office Renaming Ceremony In Honor Of World War II Medal Of Honor Recipient Robert H. Dietz
Kingston, N.Y. - U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Congressman Chris Gibson today released the following statements on the Kingston Post Office renaming ceremony in honor of Kingston native and World War II hero, Staff Sergeant Robert Dietz. "Staff Sgt. Robert Dietz was a true American hero - and the newly renamed Kingston Post Office will be a lasting tribute to his courage and service. I was honored to help pass the legislation that made this a reality, and it … Continue Reading
March 30, 2016
Gillibrand Statement On Meeting With Supreme Court Nominee Judge Merrick Garland
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today released the following statement after meeting with President Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court, Judge Merrick Garland: "After meeting with Judge Merrick Garland, it is clear he is highly qualified to serve on the Supreme Court. I urge all my colleagues to meet with him and assess his qualifications, hold hearings and vote on his confirmation. The issues before the Supreme Court are too important to go months with a vacancy on the … Continue Reading
March 28, 2016
Schumer, Gillibrand Urge FERC To Open New Public Comment Period For Natural Gas Storage Facility In Schuyler County- Senators Say Residents Should Be Given A Second Opportunity To Voice Concerns In Light Of Company's Expiring FERC Authorization And New, Pending Environmental Safety Regulations
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to open a new public comment period for the Arlington Storage Company's proposal to expand its underground gas storage facility near Seneca Lake - the largest glacial lake of New York's Finger Lakes region, a source of clean drinking water to over 100,000 residents in the area, and one of the most trafficked tourist destinations in the region. Senators Schumer … Continue Reading
March 23, 2016
Gillibrand Urges Senate Appropriations Committee To Boost Federal Funding For The Appalachian Regional Commission - Funding To Support Economic Development Projects Across 14 NYS Counties
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today urged federal appropriators to include funding for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 budget. The Senator is requesting $120 million in federal funding for ARC, which includes $70 million to support economic development efforts across Appalachia and $50 million for the Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative. New York is currently one of 13 states … Continue Reading
March 23, 2016
Gillibrand Reminds 9/11 First Responders, Survivors Of Possible Tax Relief Available Through IRS
IRS Resource Page Available Here Washington, D.C. - Two years after announcing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had updated Publication 3920: Tax Relief for Victims of Terrorist Attacks, Senator Gillibrand today reminded 9/11 responders and survivors about IRS tax relief that they may be eligible to receive. This updated publication clarifies eligibility for tax relief under the Victims of Terrorism Tax Relief law and provides examples relevant to present-day situations faced by the … Continue Reading
March 22, 2016
Schumer, Gillibrand Announce $190,000 In Federal Housing & Urban Development Funding For Akwesasne Housing Authority
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $193,164 in federal funds to the Akwesasne Housing Authority in Hogansburg, located in Franklin County. The funding was allocated through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency (ROSS) program and will be used to advance local programs designed to help those most in need become self-sufficient. "These federal funds from HUD's … Continue Reading
March 21, 2016
Schumer, Gillibrand Make New Senate Push To Preserve Plum Island & To Prevent Sale To Highest Bidder; Unless Congress Acts, Home To Endangered Species & Wildlife Sanctuary Will Be Sold, Possibly Uprooted By Private Developer
U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today urged the Senate Committee on Appropriations to prevent Plum Island from being sold to a private developer. Schumer and Gillibrand are pushing to repeal law that would allow the land to be sold to be the highest bidder. Plum Island is currently home to the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC), a federal facility that will soon be put up for sale by GSA in order to offset the construction costs of new facility being constructed … Continue Reading
March 21, 2016
Gillibrand, Kirk Lead Call To Fully Fund U.S-Israel Missile Defense Cooperation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) today led a bipartisan group of 30 senators in calling for full funding of U.S.-Israel cooperative missile defense programs in the Defense Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2017. In a letter to Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the senators urged full funding for all three cooperative missile defense programs (Arrow System Improvement … Continue Reading
March 18, 2016
As Opioid & Heroin Related Deaths In New York Continue To Climb, Senator Gillibrand Urges Passage Of Bipartisan Legislation To Fight Opioid Epidemic
Binghamton, N.Y. - As opioid and heroin related deaths in New York continue to climb, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand along with families and advocates are calling on Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to help end the opioid epidemic. Senator Gillibrand introduced the Preventing Overprescribing for Pain Act, legislation that would require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue guidelines for the safe prescribing of opioids for the treatment of acute pain. The CDC … Continue Reading
